Public Engagment arm of METROPOLIS at Riwayat 2025
It's Ok To Talk and Youth for Mental Health Foundation hold interactive sessions with students on lived experiences and storytelling.
Admin
On 25th February 2025, It’s Ok To Talk and Youth for Mental Health Foundation (YMHF) visited Jamia Millia Islamia for Riwayat—the annual festival organized by the Department of Psychology. We conducted an interactive session with students, focusing on the power of lived experiences and storytelling.
Hitesh Sanwal, the founder of YMHF and lived experience expert on the METROPOLIS programme, shared his personal journey with mental health struggles and how he found strength in talking about his lived experiences.
Students were also introduced to the It’s Ok To Talk campaign, which works towards encouraging open conversation and meaningful dialogue on youth mental health through its platform with real-life stories of mental health challenges and resilience. The session highlighted the impact of sharing one’s story and guided students on how they can get involved with the campaign and make a difference.
The It’s Ok To Talk and Youth for Mental Health Foundation teams further interacted with students from various departments at Jamia Milia at an engagement booth after the talk. At the booth, students participated in interactive activities, received mental health resources and learnt more about the It’s Ok To Talk campaign and the host organizations. The event was a resounding success with participation from over 200 students. The enthusiastic response and participation reinforced the importance of community-driven mental health advocacy.